Watch Out, Montana: These New ‘Cop Traps’ Are Everywhere

BUTTE, MT - If you've cruised down I-90 near Bozeman or Butte lately and felt the sudden urge to pump the brakes—you're not imagining things.

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Something sneaky is going on, and it has four wheels, flashing lights, and a radar gun.

Yes, fellow Montanans, it’s speed trap season.

And the hot zones? You guessed it...

Construction Chaos and How It Helps Cops

With orange cones and lane closures now a staple of your daily drive, local law enforcement has found the perfect cocktail for catching speedsters:

Frustrated drivers + one-lane traffic + ever-changing speed limits = a revenue-generating goldmine.

In Bozeman, the construction zones near the Main Street interchange have become prime real estate for patrol cars playing hide-and-seek. Don’t be surprised if you see a cruiser tucked behind a gravel mound, radar poised, waiting for that one driver who just can’t do 35 through a work zone.

Over in Butte, the stretch near Montana Street is turning into its own kind of trap.

Drivers emerging from the congestion near Harrison Avenue sometimes forget they’re still in a 45-mph construction zone...and that’s when the flashing reds and blues light up the rearview mirror.

Speeding or Impatient? Doesn’t Matter

Look, I get it. Nobody enjoys crawling through 12 miles of cones while a guy in a hard hat stares into a hole. But those signs reading “Fines Double in Work Zones”? They’re not just for decoration. I know, shocker.

Officers aren’t always pulling folks over just to make a point. Some are genuinely trying to keep road workers safe.

Others? Let’s just say they’ve become awfully good at finding that one blind corner where your speed creeps up to 51 in a 45.

Tips to Avoid the Trap

• Don't trust your cruise control in a construction zone. Speed limits can shift fast.

• Stay extra alert at dawn and dusk—visibility drops, and so do your chances of spotting a patrol car in time.

• Remember: speed limit signs trump your instincts. If it feels like it should be 60, but the sign says 45—go with the sign.

So whether you're heading to Tech, hitting up a hot spring, or just trying to get to Costco before the rotisserie chickens are gone, keep it slow and steady through the cones.

Because in Montana right now, those construction zones aren’t just bottlenecks—they’re traps.

And that lead foot? It might just cost you a week’s worth of gas.